Kampala, Uganda | NEWS CORRESPONDENT | In many urban communities, health is often shaped by the places people live in every day. Overflowing waste, blocked drainage channels, and poor sanitation continue to drive preventable diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, and malaria, placing a growing burden on families and healthcare systems across Kampala.
It is against this backdrop that C-Care Uganda, in partnership with Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and local leaders, led a major community clean-up exercise in Kasanvu and Namuwongo Bukasa Parish, bringing together residents, healthcare professionals, volunteers, and city authorities in a shared effort to improve environmental health and reduce disease risk.
The initiative focused on clearing long-standing waste backlogs, cleaning drainage channels, and restoring key community spaces, areas often associated with disease outbreaks and poor living conditions.
Speaking during the exercise, Azhar Sundhoo, CEO of C-Care Uganda, emphasised that healthcare must extend beyond clinical care and into the environments where people live.
“At C-Care, we recognise that health is shaped long before a patient walks into a hospital. Clean environments are fundamental to preventing disease, protecting families, and building healthier communities. This partnership with KCCA reflects our commitment to advancing preventive health and supporting wellbeing at community level,” he said.
He added that many of the conditions treated in healthcare facilities are preventable and often linked to environmental factors.
“As healthcare providers, we see the impact of preventable disease every day. By working together on initiatives like this, we are investing in healthier neighbourhoods and reducing the long-term burden of disease on families and the health system.”
According to KCCA, Kampala generates between 2,000 and 2,500 tonnes of waste daily, with a significant proportion remaining uncollected. This contributes to blocked drainage systems, flooding, and increased risk of disease outbreaks, particularly in densely populated informal settlements.
Hajjati Sharifah Buzeki, Executive Director of KCCA, reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to improving sanitation and public health through partnerships that engage both institutions and communities.
“Clean environments are essential for healthy populations. Waste management is not only a city responsibility, it is a public health priority. Through partnerships like this, we are strengthening our ability to reduce disease risks and improve quality of life for Kampala residents,” she said.
Residents of Kasanvu and Namuwongo welcomed the initiative, expressing hope that continued collaboration between communities, healthcare providers, and city authorities will lead to sustained improvements in sanitation and public health outcomes.
This initiative forms part of a broader effort by KCCA and C-Care Uganda to promote preventive healthcare, strengthen environmental health awareness, and encourage community ownership of sanitation practices.
For C-Care, the exercise reflects a growing focus on care that extends beyond hospital walls, bringing healthcare closer to communities, and positioning health as a continuous journey rather than a single point of treatment.
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